In the Immortal Hulk spin-off series Gamma Flight, a classic, monstrous member of the team makes a stunning, life-changing breakthrough.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Gamma Flight #3, available now from Marvel.
The saga of the Immortal Hulk has transformed the landscape for gamma mutates. And in Gamma Flight #3 — by Al Ewing, Crystal Frasier, Lan Medina, Antonio Fabela, and VC’s Joe Sabino — one of these discoveries has led to a major breakthrough in regards to classic Marvel hero and longtime Hulk ally Rick Jones.
Dr. Charlene McGowan and the merged Del Frye/Rick Jones are dealing with the aftermath of their teammates having recently gone missing. When Carl Creel aka the Absorbing Man used his powers to transform into a living teleporter, he managed to rescue his allies who were caught between the son of the Hulk and a military force. Unfortunately, Carl’s new body was damaged in the fray, leading him and the others to be transported away to some unknown location. Dr. McGowen believes that the team perished in battle, but Rick Jones knows that isn’t the case. Unfortunately, Rick is unable to easily convey the truth because his current form makes it very difficult for him to effectively communicate.
Rick Jones and Delbert Frye were forcefully merged into one being in Immortal Hulk #41 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, after both of them had been killed, resurrected, and manipulated by the Leader. While their prior monstrous forms were already difficult to deal with, the one they now share has proven to be almost unmanageable. Just forming a coherent sentence is nearly impossible for them, as evidenced by Del’s efforts to make the doctor listen to Rick. Luckily, Dr. McGowan draws upon her medical expertise to help her solve the problem.
The doctor has Rick/Del pass a ball back and forth, giving them something simple to focus on that will put their minds at ease. The tactic proves to be effective and allows the merged creature to communicate with much greater proficiency. Rick then explains that he can feel the Gamma in their allies out in the world somewhere, and that he knows for certain that they aren’t dead. On top of that, Rick even manages to pinpoint them with enough accuracy that Dr. McGowan is able to track the rest of the team down and get them home safely.
Rick Jones has long been one of the Hulk’s greatest allies, and now he has another chance to help make things right for his old friend using a brand new set of powers. Being able to track Gamma Mutates could easily be the biggest advantage that Gamma Flight has against their enemies.
Without anywhere for their gamma-irradiated adversaries to hide, there won’t be many secrets that Gamma Flight can’t uncover. In one fell swoop, Rick Jones has both had an incredible breakthrough, and proved to be one of the most valuable members of his new team.
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